University of Toronto Study: Pharma Industry's national campaign to influence prescribing practices exposed

Scope of Industry-Sponsored Events: A recent study by the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto has unveiled the massive scale of industry-sponsored events targeting U.S. health professionals. This research, led by Assistant Professor Quinn Grundy, aims to shed light on the pharmaceutical industry's influence on those who prescribe medications.

The study examined data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments database, a public record of payments made to medical professionals by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. In 2022, over 1.1 million industry-sponsored events occurred in the U.S., one of the world's largest pharmaceutical markets. These events are a vital part of marketing strategies for new drugs and devices, but until now, their full scope was not well understood.

Focus on Top Products

The study found that the top 10 products, based on the number of sponsored dinner events, accounted for over 16,000 dinners sponsored by seven companies. These events were explicitly targeted at prescribers, such as physicians and nurse practitioners. Grundy emphasizes that understanding the prevalence of these events is crucial, as they can significantly impact prescribing practices.

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Impact on Prescribing Practices

Grundy, who also directs the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre in Governance, Accountability, and Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Sector, notes extensive evidence linking industry payments to physician prescribing behavior. Even low-value payments, such as those for food and beverages, are often associated with increased prescribing of promoted and higher-cost drugs, such as brand-name drugs, over generics.

The Role of the Open Payments Database

The Open Payments database, established under the Affordable Care Act in 2012, was created to increase transparency in the relationships between clinicians and the pharmaceutical and medical device industries. Using this database, the researchers were able to analyze records of payments for food and beverages and link these to in-person sponsored events for specific products. The data revealed that these events were widespread across various states, highlighting the national scale of the pharmaceutical companies' campaigns.

National Scale of Influence

Grundy points out that while individual health professionals may only attend a few of these events, the number of events sponsored nationwide allows pharmaceutical companies to influence prescribing practices significantly. "When you think of the number of events and the number of health professionals attending these events, what emerges is a picture of a campaign that is able, at a national scale, to amplify perspectives about a promoted drug that is likely favorable to the sponsor," says Grundy.

Variations in Targeted Products

The study did not find a specific pattern in the types of products more likely to be promoted through industry-sponsored events. However, it did note that two of the top 10 products, both mental health-oriented drugs, had more events targeting nurse practitioners than physicians. This highlights the importance of nurse practitioners as prescribers in the pharmaceutical market.

Transparency and Future Research

In 2021, the U.S. released its first data on industry payments to prescribing nurses, marking a significant step toward transparency. Grundy notes that Canada lags in this regard, as there is no requirement for pharmaceutical or device companies to report payments to physicians or nurse practitioners. This study, funded by the Greenwall Foundation's Making a Difference Grants program, is part of a multi-phase project to analyze the new data on industry payments to advanced practice nurses in the U.S.

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Call for Conversations and Best Practices

Grundy hopes that this research will spark conversations in professional circles about how to interact with the pharmaceutical industry in ways that prioritize population health. She also calls for more research on best practices in prescribing to ensure that health professionals are making decisions that are in the best interest of their patients.

This study highlights the extensive reach of pharmaceutical industry-sponsored events targeting health professionals in the U.S. With over 1.1 million events in a single year, the influence of these events on prescribing practices is significant. By increasing transparency and understanding the impact of these events, the hope is to foster more ethical interactions between health professionals and the pharmaceutical industry, ultimately benefiting public health. For updates on happenings at top universities worldwide, follow Education Post News.